It’s not very often I accept guest contributions for this blog, but something about this infographic outlining SEO myths that should be ignored caught my eye.

SEO is something that’s always talked about (often the advice is incorrect). It’s not dead; it’s not a one-off activity and, although I hate to say it, even my SEO copywriting won’t get you a top ranking on its own – there’s other stuff that has to go on in the background too.

That’s why I wanted to bring this infographic, by Mybizniche, to your attention.

I get approached a lot by companies who, after reading my blog posts say:

“I’ve been reading your blogs. I love the way you write and I’d love you to write blogs and articles for us too.”

Wow, praise indeed. But I do have a slight issue with this.

The way I write reflects me: my personality, my take on the world etc.

It’s a very personal style that suits me. That doesn’t mean it will suit you or your company.

The thing about blogging is that it should be your brand but in written form.

The language, the tone, the playfulness (or not) should all be indicative of your brand personality.

Let’s say a firm of solicitors contacts me asking for me to write in my style, for them. After looking at their website, I see they’re a very traditional outfit. Their web content is very formal (dare I say dry) and professional. If I wrote blogs and articles for them using my style, the result would be quite jarring for the reader.

On the one hand, they’re faced with straight-laced, formal content, and then suddenly they get relaxed, conversational, and at times, light-hearted content.

See what I mean?

It just doesn’t work.

Be yourself not a carbon copy of your heroes

If you try to replicate someone else’s style, you’ll be heading for disaster.

It’s imperative you find your voice to create a unique identity for your company. That means expressing yourself in your style using your own words. In other words, a written form of the way you speak to your clients.

As you’re reading this, a voice in your head is ‘speaking’ the words to you. The same thing happens when someone reads your blogs copy. It’s that voice – how you sound – that will make you stand out from your competitors.

Release your creativity

Blogging is all about imparting your knowledge on the reader, so you don’t have your sales hat on. That’s why it’s a great way to find your voice.

Once you’ve decided what topic you’re going to write about, and roughly planned what you want to say, start having a conversation.

What I mean by that is imagine you’re sat with a client who has just asked you about the topic you’re going to write about.

Have an imaginary conversation with them, writing it down as you go. Think about the type of language you would use if you were face-to-face with them and use it. For example, you wouldn’t blind them jargon, so don’t use it in your writing.

Then, when you read it back to yourself, it will sound like you rather than as if a mechanical, jargon-filled robot wrote it.

Once you’ve found your voice, replicate it the style for a library of exciting and easy to read blog posts that give an accurate reflection of your business.

Although I would happily take your retainer to create fabulous articles for you, I would always strongly encourage you to write your blog posts. That way you will develop your brand personality and deliver great content that your readers want in a way that forms a strong bond between you and them.

It’s this inconsistent level of work that most freelancers find the most frustrating aspect of their business.

So what can be done about it?

Can anything be done about it?

Even if you’re lucky enough to have a bank of retainer clients, sooner or later you’re going to hit a dry patch.

Client churn is a natural part of business, so you can never rest on your laurels just because, at the moment, you have a healthy monthly income.

Where do you find clients?

If you’re like me, you’ll have a favourite way of attracting clients:

Through website traffic

By blogging and article marketing

Through social media

Face-to-face networking (this one is not my bag at all)

A lot of freelancers will put all their eggs in one basket. They either solely rely on Google to bring them clients, or just keep hitting all their local networking events to drum up trade.

Some have given up on organic search and are instead pouring cash into an AdWords campaign. Others hope word-of-mouth will keep their bank balance in the black.

All of these are legitimate courses of action, but they shouldn’t be relied on in isolation.

What about your existing clients?

Finding new clients always seems to take priority over keeping old ones.

Not every business that approaches you for help will need regular work doing; for most, it’s the odd one-off project now and again. But the fact that you have a database of past happy clients shouldn’t be ignored.

Keeping in touch with them (even those that asked for a quote but didn’t take you up on it) will help you keep that door open and, hopefully, lead to repeat work.

Don’t go mad though (you’ll only come across as being desperate). Drop them a line once a month to tell them what you’ve been up to and perhaps offer a handy hint – something they will value.

There should be no sales pressure; this is just a ‘staying in touch’ email.

Keep searching for the Holy Grail

Achieving a constant flow of work is the Holy Grail every freelancer is looking for.

Admittedly, it’s unlikely you’ll achieve it 100% of the time, but by getting organised and trying different approaches, you will maximise your chances of avoiding a complete famine.

Sally Ormond is a freelance copywriter who works with clients around the world. Ten years into freelancing and she’s not starved yet.

]]>http://briarcopywriting.com/blog/avoiding-the-freelance-client-famine/feed/0Is There Such A Thing As A Single Global Marketing Voice?http://briarcopywriting.com/blog/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-single-global-marketing-voice/
http://briarcopywriting.com/blog/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-single-global-marketing-voice/#respondTue, 06 Feb 2018 10:17:50 +0000http://www.briarcopywriting.com/?p=6474

No.

I could stop this blog post here, but it probably needs a wee bit more of an explanation than a simple ‘no’.

There are a lot of global companies out there.

Some are vast, unwieldy multinationals; others are smaller concerns that just happen to have a global market for their products and services.

Whichever camp you’re in, you have one thing in common – you’re selling to vastly different audiences.

Culture-sensitive marketing

One of the most significant barriers to selling to a worldwide audience is language.

You may think that all you have to do is translate your original content into different languages.

Nope.

That won’t do at all.

You’ve heard the phrase ‘lost in translation’, well that applies here.

Every language has its nuances. Phrases that make sense in one country will be completely alien to another.

Things that are acceptable in one country may be offensive in another.

That’s why a simple translation won’t do.

Here are a few examples that illustrate this point:

Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow [1965-1980]

Initially, the plan for this prestigious car was to be marketed as Rolls-Royce Silver Mist. Sounds elegant, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, “Mist” is the German word for manure (if you put it nicely…) so they quickly changed the plan and marketed the car as Silver Shadow. A similar thing happened with the launch of the Toyota MR2 in France, pronounced out loud – with a French accent – it sounded like ‘merdeux’ which amounts to meaning the same as the German example. The number ‘2’ was quickly dropped from the nomenclature.

Avon [1969]

Avon tried to enter the Japanese market using the same strategy that had worked so well in the US. This strategy included door to door selling. In Japan, however, this did not work. Japanese women did not feel comfortable selling to people they didn’t know. Moreover, in Japan the privacy of one’s home is very important and should not be invaded. Avon suffered a loss but adapted their product placement strategy accordingly.

Using a native writer

Investing in one copywriter and then translating their content is not the way ahead. Instead, you must find great copywriters in every country you’re marketing in (if your website is to be multilingual).

They will be able to advise you on the best way to get your message across.

Being culturally aware, they will know how your audience in each country will think. Therefore, they will be able to pinpoint the critical benefits for each audience.

Despite what you may think, your product or service will benefit people in different ways depending on their culture and where they place the most value.

Summary

When you’re marketing to a global audience:

Always invest in the services of a native professional copywriter for each country you’re looking to sell in to

Research cultural differences to make sure your message stays strong

Never translate content in the hope that it will work just as well in another country

Sally Ormond is an international copywriter who has helped European companies make an impact in the UK and US markets.

Selling shouldn’t be painful, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enhance your sell case with a little discomfort.

When it comes to selling to your customers, it’s important to remember they must need your product or service before you can sell it to them.

They are not going to wake up one morning, see your ad/email/letter/website (delete as appropriate) and think wow, I’ve got to get me one of those!

The only way that is going to happen is if they need what you’re selling. But that doesn’t mean they’re going to buy from you unless you can create a compelling case.

Identifying their pain

Your customers are in pain.

They have a problem that’s niggling away at them, and they’re looking for a solution – your solution.

Show them you can take their discomfort away by identifying their pain point, lancing it with some carefully worded content, and showing them that by buying from you their problem will disappear.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing for a B2B or B2C market, businesses and consumers all have problems they want solving.

That doesn’t mean giving them a list of features. They don’t care about that stuff; all they want to know is that you understand what they’re going through and you will make their life better.

Pain equals motivation

Pain is a great motivator. After all, if you burn your hand on an iron, you’ll be swiftly motivated to remove your hand to stop the physical pain you’re feeling.

It’s the same in sales. Let’s take the business market as an example. There are all sorts of pain points here:

Inadvertently breaking rules

Being rejected

Having your secrets stolen by a disgruntled employee

Losing money

High error rates

Your content has to show your customers that you can put right what they’re getting wrong so they’ll benefit from compliance, success, greater security, smoother and more efficient processes, and lower error rates.

Getting the balance right

The one thing you don’t want to do is concentrate continually on the downside. Just a mention is enough; otherwise, you’re going to depress your reader further.

State their problem and show them how you can make it go away – get that balance right and they’ll snap your hand off because they know you’re the ‘special one’ they’ve been looking for; you’re the one that’s going to make everything OK.

A great way to start is with a headline along the lines of:

Have you ever wished that…?

This is a gentle lead-in and shows them that you understand the problem (pain point) they are experiencing.

Then, as you get into the real meat of your copy, you can continue with:

Well, now you can with our …

Swiftly followed by an outline of what your offering will do for them.

Within a few seconds, you’ve shown you understand their issues by highlighting the problem they’re facing and how you can make that problem disappear.

That’s pretty powerful stuff.

Sally Ormond, is the international copywriter who has been taking the pain away from audiences around the world for over a decade.

]]>http://briarcopywriting.com/blog/why-pain-trumps-features-when-it-comes-to-copywriting/feed/0Copywriting That Dares To Be Different Winshttp://briarcopywriting.com/blog/copywriting-that-dares-to-be-different-wins/
http://briarcopywriting.com/blog/copywriting-that-dares-to-be-different-wins/#respondTue, 30 Jan 2018 09:48:36 +0000http://www.briarcopywriting.com/?p=6467

As a business, it’s good to be the stripy elephant in the room.

Why?

Because you have to stand out.

What’s the point in looking and sounding like every other business? You have to have something about you that makes you different to your competitors.

Before you say, our customer service is second to none; our products are innovative…everyone says that. Words are not enough.

How are you going to be different?

A leap of faith

One way you can stand out it is how you present yourself in writing.

I’ve written for numerous companies around the world, and one scenario continually crops up.

When taking the brief it becomes apparent that they don’t have a ‘jaw-dropping’ USP that’s going to make people flock to them, so I have to get creative.

I discuss with the client my vision for how we can present the content in a way that will get it noticed.

My advice is to adopt an informal/humorous/cheeky style that will engage the reader, give the company a personality and show the audience the business is made up of real people who want to help.

Initially, it is received well, and I get the green light to proceed.

After days of writing, rewriting and refining, the initial draft is ready for the client to see.

Some clients instantly ‘get it’, love the style and run with it.

A lot suddenly go pale and start to get cold feet. They ramble on about how that’s not how they ‘speak’ in their industry, that customers expect a certain style and approach. It’s not ‘corporate’ enough etc.

Err, that’s the whole point.

Let’s say I’m looking for a disaster recovery solution for my business. After a bit of research, I create a short list of companies that appear to be a good fit. I’m old school, so I get all their brochures so I can compare them.

One evening, I’m sat on my sofa, a glass of wine hand, flicking through the brochures.

Three out of the four are very similar. They use stock images, are full of doom and gloom and list all the services they provide.

The other one catches my eye. For a start, the front cover has a bold statement showing me why I need a disaster recovery solution. The rest of the pages use vibrant images, and the content stands out because it’s so different.

Instead of focusing on the services, it uses humour and a lighter tone that enhances rather than dilutes the message. It gives the whole document personality, reassuring me that these people know their onions. For some reason, this different approach makes me want to trust them because they are not just paying lip service.

In my eyes, because they have the balls to be different they are the company I want to do business with.

Become that stripy elephant

There are no rules that say you have to present yourself the way everyone else does in your industry.

Your customers don’t expect a specific approach; in fact, they welcome something different from the norm.

It’s time to be brave, take a stand and show your individuality.

Sally Ormond is an international copywriter with a style that will make you stand out, whatever your industry.

May 2018 sees the introduction of the new GDPR regulations. Do you understand what they mean to your business?

While looking into this for my benefit, I came across this useful video from Hubspot that I wanted to share with you.

Disclaimer: This video is not legal advice for your company to use in complying with EU data privacy laws like the GDPR. Instead, it provides background information to help you better understand the GDPR. This legal information is not the same as legal advice, where an attorney applies the law to your specific circumstances, so we insist that you consult an attorney if you’d like advice on your interpretation of this information or its accuracy.

In a nutshell, you may not rely on this as legal advice, or as a recommendation of any particular legal understanding.

Why is it, when growing up, someone always has something bigger and better than you?

Their toy is better, they’ve seen the latest age 18 release at the cinema (which, considering the fact you’re only 12 they obviously haven’t), and they went abroad on holiday while you went to Skegness.

Not much fun is it?

Looking back on those days, I realise how juvenile those arguments were. Funny then how I keep saying similar taunts in the marketing of some companies.

Mine’s bigger than yours

The idea of marketing your business is to show your customers how you’re going to make their life easier.

Telling them how much better you are than your competitors, naming and shaming companies, and calling out rival service providers and trashing their offerings is very poor form.

Rather than showing you in a glowing light it sends out the message that your service is pretty crap and the only way you can make it sound better is to belittle your opponents.

Shame, because done well, your copy and your sales case could be powerful.

Blank out the competition

The first step is to put a pair of blinkers on and think only about your business.

Who are your customers?

What problem do they have?

How does your solution solve that and make their life easier?

What unique propositions do you offer?

By answering those questions you will discover the language to use, the approach to use, and the main benefits to highlight.

Stick to what your customers want and what you can offer and leave it there.

Other things to avoid

Now I’ve got you concentrating on your customers and your business, here are few other things you should avoid writing at all costs.

Empty phrases (market leader, innovative, ground-breaking, cutting-edge) unless you can back it up with hard facts

Excessive use of ‘we’ (write in the second person, so you’re addressing your reader directly)

It should also go without saying that all your copy should be checked double-checked and triple checked for typos and grammatical errors.

Forget the playground taunts about what everyone else is doing and create original marketing that’s written to respond to the specific needs of your target audience.

After surviving the playground bullies, Sally Ormond became an international copywriter – beat that bullies!

]]>http://briarcopywriting.com/blog/stop-littering-your-copy-with-playground-taunts/feed/0How To Make Your Marketing Stand Out When You Don’t Have An Obvious USPhttp://briarcopywriting.com/blog/how-to-make-your-marketing-stand-out-when-you-dont-have-an-obvious-usp/
http://briarcopywriting.com/blog/how-to-make-your-marketing-stand-out-when-you-dont-have-an-obvious-usp/#respondFri, 19 Jan 2018 13:58:20 +0000http://www.briarcopywriting.com/?p=6453

You are advised continuously to promote your USP in all your marketing materials to make you stand out.

OK, that makes sense. But what happens when you don’t have an obvious USP?

Plus, what if you work in a less-than-glamorous industry (aka one that’s as boring as hell) in which you and your competitors all offer the same range of services with very little to separate you?

How do you stand out then?

Well, there is one thing that differentiates you from everyone else – your team.

The makeup of your staff is unique to your business. Their skills, personalities and values can’t be replicated so make the most of them.

That doesn’t mean adopting the usual stuff like “our expert team offer a unique blend of talents…” YAWN.

Yes, they’re experts, they have years of experience, they act professionally, they put the customer first…everyone says that.

So how do you get the uniqueness of your team across?

It’s not what you say it’s how you say it

A given with any content writing for marketing materials is that it must show the reader how what you offer will make their life easier.

It must also engage with them and so be written in the second person.

But beyond that, there is a way of making yourself stand out, and that’s by using a unique style of writing.

A great way to do that is by using a little bit of humour. I don’t mean gags in every paragraph – that really won’t work. Instead, try to think of ways of saying things that show the personality of your business.

Currently, I’m working on a brochure for a data recovery/disaster recovery company. Not the most glamorous of industries and they don’t offer anything unique from their competitors (packaged differently yes, but in essence, they don’t have a standout-never-been-seen-before-service). So how have I made their brochure unique?

To start with I had a look at the industry to see what everyone else was saying. It was much-of-a-muchness. In fact, most of it was crammed with jargon or written using marketing-speak – bleugh.

Playful language can add a new dimension to your marketing materials. It shows your personality and identifies you as a company that’s approachable and personable.

Of course, you have to be careful about how you use it. For example, it’s not advisable if writing for an undertaker.

Granted, it’s not a style every business owner will be comfortable with, but it’s worth giving it a try because something is refreshing about the approach.

When writing it’s so easy to fall into the same old styles, you see everywhere. I’ve had many clients over the years who have insisted on me using the dry technique because ‘that’s what our customers’ expect’.

Do they though? Or is it more to the fact that the clients aren’t brave enough to try something different?

Let’s face it unless you’re prepared to do something out of the ordinary you’re going to get lost in the background noise of all the other boring marketing that’s going on around you.

Be brave and dare to be different.

Sally Ormond is an international copywriter who does things differently.

If you’re a similar age to me and grew up in the UK, you’ll probably remember the government’s various public safety films that featured the likes of Tufty Fluffytail, ‘Charley says’, and the Green Cross Code Man (aka Dave Prowse who also played Darth Vader).

Well, the copywriter’s green cross code is nothing like those.

It’s to do with the way in which your marketing content should be written and how a copywriter’s brain works very differently to that of a business owner.

Creating content is vital to the survival of your business and isn’t something that should be squeezed into your hectic day when you have a spare five minutes.

It’s all about getting your message across clearly to your audience.

If you don’t have the budget for a professional copywriter and want to write it yourself, follow these simple steps to try and get the most from your writing.

Stage 1 – Stop

You can’t write anything until you’ve stopped and thought about what you are doing, why you’re doing it and who will be reading it.

Every piece of copy you produce must have a purpose:

What is going to be the best platform for your message?

What do your customers need?

How will your content make their life easier?

What do you want to achieve from your copy?

How do you want your audience to react?

What do you want to tell your audience?

What result do you want to achieve?

As you can see, there is a lot to think about before you pick up a pen or go anywhere near your keyboard.

If you want your copy to be powerful and compelling, you have to do your homework first. If you don’t, you’ll produce something disjointed without any real direction.

Stage 2 – Look

Your message is critical, but so is the way your content looks.

It will only be read if it looks appealing and easy to digest, so make it accessible by using:

Strong headings

Subheadings

Bullet points

High quality, relevant images

Short paragraphs and sentences

Stage 3 – Listen

First of all, listen to your audience. What do they want to know?

Their primary concern is that you’re going to make their life easier, so make sure your content shows them how you will do that.

Then listen to yourself.

Read your content out loud. Whether its website copy, brochure content, email content or a case study you have to hear it to make sure it flows, makes sense and evokes an emotional response in your reader.

Writing content for your sales and marketing is much more than just stringing a few sentences together. A lot of thought, planning and shaping have to go into every piece of content you produce.